Rail-fastener.



M. P. WHEELER.

RAIL FASTENER.

APPLICATION nun JULY I8. m3

1,163,728. Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

MERRITT P, WHEELER. 6F PAWHUSKA, OKLAHOMA.

RAIL-FASTENERQ I! '0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Memzrr'r 1. W'rrenmau, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Pawhuska, in the county of Usage and State ofOklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRail-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

This. invention relates to rail joints and has for its primary object toprovide a novel form of locking means for retaining the meeting ends ofa rail in engagement, thereby preventing many accidents which haveheretofore occurred due to I inetlicient rail joints.

Another object of the invention is to provide splice bars of theordinary type, which are in engagement with the web of the rail, thesplice bars being connectedto the rail through the medium of a suitabledetachable element, the element being held from displacement due to thevibration of the rolling stock passing over the rail, in asimple and,

efficient manner which will be more fully hereinafter set forth. I

Other objects as well as the nature, characteristic features and scopeof the invention will be more readily understood from the followingdescription taken in connection w th the accompanying drawings andpointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

Referring to the dra\vings-l igure 1 is a side elevation of a railillustrating the application of my invention; Fig. 2 is a crosssectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detailfragmentary elevation of one of the splice bars; and Fig. 4 is a detailenlarged cross sectional view of the locking means taken on the line 4iof Fig. 2.

In the drawings wherein is illustrated the preferred form of the presentinvention a rail is provided which comprises a base flange 5, a. web (3and a head 7, which may be of the ordinary or any desired form Arrangedbetween the head 7 and the base flange 5 are splice bars or fish plates8,7one of which is arranged on each side of the web 6, and engagedtherewith. The web .(3 and the fish plates 8, are provided with anlurality of alining apertures fl which are arranged atintervalstherein, and are scre\-v threaded for engagement with the lockingelement.

The 1 locking element in the present in stance comprises a bolt havingan elongated Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 18', 1913.

Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

Serial No. 779,707.

iliary locking element 14. The auxiliary locking element comprises ashank 13 above mentioned the one end of which is screwthreaded asindicated at 15, the opposite end thereof being provided with a head 16.

which has formed therein a transversely exte iding groove 17. Thescrew-threaded erid 10 of the auxiliary locking element 14, is adaptedfor screw-threaded engagement in an aperture 18 which is providedadjacent the apertures 9 in one of the fish plates, either at the sidetlrereof or subjacent the same as desired.

In operation, after the meetingends of the rail 7, have been placedtogether, the fish plates or splice bar-s8 are placed in engagement withthe web (3 of the rail in the ordinary manner, having the apertures ofthe fish plates alining with the apertures of the web. The lockingelement has the shank 10 thereof threaded through the. apertures 9 untilthe inner face of the head 11 thereof contacts with tl le outer face ofone of the fish plates 8. The auxiliary element 14 has the threadedshank 15 thereof engagedin the aperture 18, the smooth portion 13 of theshank being in engagement with one of the semi-circular recesses 12 ofthe head 11. The auxiliary element 14 is rotated, through the medium ofa screw-driver or a similar tool, which is engaged in the transverselyextending groove 17, until the inner faceof the head 10 engages with theouter end of the head 11. When in this position it is obvious that therotation of the locking element proper is prevented, not only by havingthe sides of the head 11 engaging with the shank 13 of the auxiliaryelement but will also be assisted in its locking function in view of thefact that when tlui auxiliary element 1+ is in its position, adjacentthe aperture f) of one of the fish plates, the threads on the shank ofthe locking elem'ent proper will be caused to bind in said apertures 9,thereby facilitating the retaining of the locking element proper in theapertures 9, so as to prevent the displacement'of the meeting ends ofthe.rail.

It will be understood that the above description andaccompanyingdrawings comprehend only the general and preferredembodiment of my invention and that various minor changes in details ofconstruction, proportion and arrangement of the parts may be made withinthe scope of the appended claim and Without sacrificing any of theadvantagesiof my invention. Having thus fully described my inyentionwhat I claimjas new and desire tofsecure by tters Patent 'is:-

The combination With a pair of rails and fish-plate *having registeringtherein, ndih screw threaded opening in the fish-plates adjacent to theregistering openings, of a bolt having an enlarged.

openings .the fish-plate, and resting in the recesses in the main bolt,the head of the auxiliary bolt overlying the head of the main bolt;

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature I in pr-esence of twowitnesses,

M ERRITT P. WHEELER.

\Vitnesses: I

E. W. PACKARD, ALBERT F. SCHAEBER.

